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Students come together to share class materials using StudyRoom

As technology advances, it becomes easier for people to find and interact with one another on the Internet, which is being utilized in the classroom.

StudyRoom, a website designed to connect students in their classes, allows students to easily share notes, find study guides and put together study groups.

In late 2012, Emerson Malca and Pindi Albert, co-founders of the website, developed an idea to connect students with their classmates that was officially launched in January 2014.

Unlike Blackboard, teachers and administration do not have superior access. The entire site is available to students.

“I think it could be useful,” said Brandon Bishop, a junior at Colorado State University studying computer science. “I just don’t think a lot of us are educated about it unless you get an email from a random kid in your class.”

These emails are classmates sending invitations to increase the number of involved students, adding more notes to the page. The first step is to follow the link on that email to a sign-up page.

Tammy Lundblad, a political science teaching assistant at CSU, said she sees this as a tool for students to collaborate on class material.

“I think it sounds like a really cool idea and it would be useful for students that are sick,” Lundblad said. “I’m a little worried that it may result in some students not going to class and they’ll just rely on those notes.”

After just one year of being online, students at over 100 different colleges are using StudyRoom. It is now also offered in the Apple App Store as well as online.

Jasmine Donkoh, junior microbiology major at CSU, said students will find reasons to skip class regardless, and with StudyRoom, at least they are getting the material.

“I feel like it will be more helpful than it will cause harm,” Donkoh said. “If you miss class or if there is something that you don’t understand and someone else did, you can figure it out and compare notes.”